OUR Archivehttps://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz:443
The Otago University Research Archive digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material.Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:04:24 GMT2016-12-09T05:04:24ZThe natural history, antecedents, and impact of xerostomia among adults in their thirtieshttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/7003
The natural history, antecedents, and impact of xerostomia among adults in their thirties
2016
Gowda, Sunitha Haralahalli Muniswami
Aim
The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence, natural history, antecedents, associations, and impacts of xerostomia on oral health in a longitudinal cohort of adults in their thirties from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (DMHDS) in New Zealand.
Methods
The data were collected from 972 Study members at age 32 and 961 Study members at age 38 through face-to-face interviews, self-administered questionnaires, and clinical assessments. Information was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Univariate analysis was undertaken to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the sample followed by bivariate analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine the associations between the dependent variable (xerostomia) and the independent variables. Chi-square tests were used to examine the statistical significance in differences found with a p value of <0.05 considered statistically significant. Exploratory data analysis (automatic interaction detection, using the exhaustive CHi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) procedure in the SPSS Answer Tree) was used to identify associations between medication exposure and the prevalence of xerostomia. Multivariate analyses were undertaken through logistic regression for predicting the putative risk factors for xerostomia prevalence at age 32 and 38 and the oral health impacts while controlling for confounders with Nagelkerke’s R2 used to estimate the amount of variance explained by each model. Odds ratio was computed to assess the strength of these relationships. Ethics approval for the DMHDS was obtained from the Otago Regional Ethics Committee for each assessment phase.
Results
One in ten Study members were xerostomic by age 38, with nearly 13% increase in the prevalence percent since age 32. One in twenty-five had xerostomia at both ages, one in twenty had remitted, and one in fifteen were incident cases of xerostomia between age 32 and 38. Prevalence of xerostomia at age 32 or 38 was associated with low socio-economic status, smoking, long-term smoking, taking 1+ medications from any source, taking 1+ prescription drugs, taking more number of medications, and dental anxiety. Remission, incidence or prevalence of xerostomia at both ages was associated with those taking 1+ prescription drugs. The medication category of antidepressants accounted for the greatest difference in xerostomia, followed by bronchodilators and nutrient supplements (CHAID analyses). At age 32, those of medium SES, those taking 1+ antidepressants or those taking 1+ nutrient supplements had greater than twice the odds of being xerostomic when controlled for other covariates. At age 38, those taking antidepressants at age 38 or those taking bronchodilators at both ages had greater odds of being xerostomic when controlled for other confounding factors. Xerostomic individuals rated poorer self-reported oral health, were more likely to experience one or more oral health impacts and one or more Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) impacts across all subscales and high rates of dental caries. A strong association between xerostomia and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was observed when controlled for indicators of poor clinical oral health such as sex, smoking status, SES, dentition status, and periodontal disease.
Conclusion
Xerostomia is not a trivial condition or a condition associated only with old age, but a condition that is prevalent at a younger age. Once the condition presents, it either worsens or ameliorates, or continues to persist. It is no longer considered a condition of an unknown aetiology but one that has known underlying risk factors. Hence, it is imperative that the assessment of xerostomia is included in the routine practice of dentistry. Xerostomia has a major impact on oral health and overall well-being. The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the better it can be managed, thus improving the overall well-being of the individual.
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 02:24:11 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/70032016-12-09T02:24:11ZExploring nature as representation and young adults’ conceptualisations of nature in the user-generated online world: Nature 2.0http://hdl.handle.net/10523/7002
Exploring nature as representation and young adults’ conceptualisations of nature in the user-generated online world: Nature 2.0
2016
Elliot, Gillian
Urban living is now the norm around the world, nature spaces and species are declining and, it is argued, many now have little or no direct contact with nature. At the same time, people everywhere are increasingly dependent on technology and digitally-mediated experiences of the world, including experiences of the natural world. Much has been written on the benefits of direct nature contact–for both people and nature–and also the (frequently negative) implications of mediated contact, in particular nature experienced via mass media. There is a growing body of research into the social, political and economic implications of the interactive web (Web 2.0) although studies which attend to nature in this online space are still limited. In short, those with an interest in the natural world generally say little about digital or new media technologies, while new media commentators are generally more interested in culture than nature. This study attempts to bridge this disciplinary gap, towards more informed dialogue about nature in the modern, digitally-enabled, increasingly media-centric world.
This cross-disciplinary study addresses both cultural representations of nature (e.g. as Arcadia or wilderness) and young adults’ conceptualisations of nature as realised on Web 2.0; what is described here as Nature 2.0. And significantly, the web is used here as research tool and research environment. An online questionnaire was used to gather quantitative and qualitative responses about Web 2.0 and nature from 504 New Zealand university students and each student was asked to select and share a nature website which is indicative of nature for them. Follow-up focus group comments (from 16 volunteers who had completed the questionnaire) add breadth and depth to the information which was shared by the students online.
The findings from this study indicate that mass-mediated representations of nature that now appear online continue to reflect and inform how people think about the natural world. Furthermore, the interactive web is significant in terms of actualising peoples’ ideas about nature and also enabling (and potentially promoting) certain nature concepts over others, most notably reimaging nature as the more entangled and politicised environment. These findings challenge established frameworks which are used to understand peoples’ visions or concepts of nature, most notably those which fail to accommodate the potential for different ideas in a changed human-nature landscape (both online and offline). The findings also challenge the methodological boundaries and the language which is used within the nature space. Finally, these findings shine an unexpected light on the role of the user in the interactive space, when nature rather than culture is centre-stage.
Notably, just as this exploratory study has been informed by research from a variety of disciplines, ranging from art history to conservation and new media studies, so too are the findings from this study relevant to human-nature research more broadly. This is the case regardless of whether interest is in contact in the offline physical world, the online digital world or, as here, both worlds now entangled.
Thu, 08 Dec 2016 22:17:52 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/70022016-12-08T22:17:52ZMusic Video and Online Social Media: A Case Study of the Discourse Around Japanese Imagery in the New Zealand Indie Scenehttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/7001
Music Video and Online Social Media: A Case Study of the Discourse Around Japanese Imagery in the New Zealand Indie Scene
2016-12-06
Johnson, Henry; Wilson, Oli
This article offers original insights into the construction of musical meaning through an intensification and bricolage of postmodern discourse as a result of music video as online media. The discussion contributes to contemporary popular music scholarship by discussing the ‘Stranger People’ video by Doprah, an indie band from Christchurch, New Zealand, with particular focus on Japanese imagery and online social media. The significance of ‘Stranger People’ is that it received a great deal of international attention via social and other media. The article focuses on not only the means of video production, distribution, and consumption, but also the threads of cultural knowledge that are
generated through media response to sight and sound and how this creates and re-creates meaning for fans and artists alike. The video serves as a particularly useful case for acknowledging and analysing the extent to which Japanese pop culture has become enmeshed in global cultural flows, and as a site for critical discussion on the localised and creative response to Japanese cultural flows.
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 01:30:17 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/70012016-12-07T01:30:17ZThe behaviour of sea ice in ocean waveshttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/7000
The behaviour of sea ice in ocean waves
1993
Meylan, Michael
The entry of ocean waves from the open sea into pack ice is a feature of the marginal ice zone which has important consequences for navigation and the construction of offshore structures in ice-infested seas. In turn it is largely the action of waves which creates the marginal ice zone as it is the wave action which is responsible for the floe size distribution within the ice cover.
In this thesis a two-dimensional model for the behaviour of a single ice floe in ocean waves is developed using a Green's function formulation. This model allows us to calculate the reflection and transmission coefficients of a single floe. It predicts that there will be frequency-dependent critical floe lengths at which the reflection is zero, analogous to electromagnetic wave propagation through a homogeneous slab. It is also found that floe bending increases as a function of floe length until a critical length is reached, above which the strain is essentially constant. The model
is successfully validated, at least for elastic sheets floating on water, by experiments performed on a polypropylene sheet. The single floe theory may also be synthesized approximately by an extension of the model developed by Fox and Squire [1990, 1991] for the interaction of waves with a semi-infinite sheet. This acts as an independent check on both theories.
The solution for a single floe may be extended to many floes as a full solution or as an approximate solution. It is shown that the approximate solution is sufficiently accurate in nearly all situations. This allows the development of a simple model for ocean wave propagation through a cover composed of many discrete floes. This model predicts that a field of pack ice will low pass filter incoming ocean waves. The model also predicts that there will be a narrowing of directional spectra with propagation through an ice cover.
Finally the model is extended so that the surge response, a frequently measured property of ice floes, may be predicted. The surge response agrees with that found by Rattier [1992] and is a strong function of floe length.
A different model for the motion of a single floe developed by Shen and Ackley [1991] is also investigated. This model is applicable to small ice floes and is related to Morrisons equation which is used extensively in problems of offshore structures. The Shen and Ackley model is shown to predict that in most physical cases all floes will tend to the same drift velocity which will be a function almost exclusively of wave amplitude.
Tue, 06 Dec 2016 22:14:43 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/70002016-12-06T22:14:43ZLow Budget Music: Three EPshttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/6999
Low Budget Music: Three EPs
2016
Dawa, Samdrub
This exegesis sets out to investigate our production of three EPs created on low budgets in Dunedin in order to gain a deeper understanding of our activities and external influences upon them. It is accompanied by these EPs to combine both practice-led research (analysis of practice) and practice-based research (presenting the artefact) approaches to the study of record production. I worked with three musical groups of different styles in an attempt to elicit different production practices in response to their music.
I predicate discussions of how the EPs were made with theoretical frameworks to explore them as contexts for our activities. Conceptions of music production are used to view how myself as a record producer apply these to low budget practices. I examine discourse on the role of the record producer for a similar reason. The impact of the “Dunedin Sound” legacy on local musicians and the practices of other local musicians creating music on low budgets frame our activities within Dunedin music to view our similarities and differences. With these discourses in mind I then take a model of music production to structure discussion of each EP under categories of writing, arranging, performing, and recording. The appendices expand on this by detailing the recording, mixing, and mastering activities of each EP as well as providing supporting information, including a diary of all musical activities and personal logs written after each of these activities.
I found that the types of concerns each group faced making music on low budgets were the same, as were the types of resources they employed. We set up new recording environments in rehearsal spaces with our own, borrowed, and rented equipment. When faced with production choices our limitations to resources made decision-making processes simple and we followed through with any of their consequences. We worked around the schedules of other people and forged close relationships with each other that helped us to problem solve during our challenges. Interactions with the “Dunedin Sound” legacy showed it was unclear how much we were influenced by its impact. I attribute the sound of each EP as reflecting our engagements with our resources and working conditions.
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 19:56:18 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/69992016-12-05T19:56:18ZComputational chemistry and spectroscopic studies of dye-sensitized solar cell materialshttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/6998
Computational chemistry and spectroscopic studies of dye-sensitized solar cell materials
2016
Lo, Alvie Lo Sin Voi
The work presented in this thesis investigates a series of materials that have utility in dye-sensitized solar cells using density functional theory (DFT) in concert with spectroscopy, including resonance Raman spectroscopy. Chapter 1 provides a survey of how dye-sensitised solar cells fit into the renewable energy landscape. The operation of the cells is also discussed and related to electron transfer theory. The theory of resonance Raman spectroscopy is presented and then aspects of computational chemistry are introduced. Experimental procedures including computational method details are given in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 describes a computational study of a series of salicylic acid based derivatives in which the charge-transfer between the dye and TiO2 is modelled with a (TiO2)6 cluster. The electronic absorption data and electronic structure are correlated with experimental solar cell performance data. Chapter 4 investigates extended salicylic acid dye systems in which a donor group is incorporated. The effect of these groups on electron transfer kinetics is modelled using a number of methods and an evaluation of electron transfer kinetics from dye to TiO2 presented. Chapter 5 uses the electron transfer models introduced in Chapter 4 and extends them to examine injection rates in porphyrin systems. In these systems it is possible to compare calculated with experimental data and it is found that a model in which Marcus-Hush theory includes a continuum of states in the TiO2 conduction band and the occupancy of these states is the most predictive model. Chapter 6 describes the effect of interactions with silane coupling agents and TiO2, a modelled by (TiO2)6. These agents are used as a blocking layer in dye-sensitised solar cells and it is found that their experimental performance may be related to length and molecular volume. Chapter 7 describes the tuning of spectral transitions in porphyrinbased systems via axial ligation with boron moieties and through reduction of the macrocycle to chlorin coupled with extensions of _-conjugation with peripheral substituents. These effect are rather different; in the case of axial ligation of porphyrins although the MOs are similar the spectra change as the molecule becomes saddled. In the case of the chlorin the substituents increase conjugation length.
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 02:26:41 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/69982016-12-05T02:26:41ZFacebook in the classroom: Blended audiences and multiple front-stages.http://hdl.handle.net/10523/6997
Facebook in the classroom: Blended audiences and multiple front-stages.
2014-03-06
Blanch, Keely; Nairn, Karen; Sandretto, Susan
In New Zealand, the use of social media for educational purposes is being encouraged (Ministry of Education, 2013). Yet, while educators focus on the educational advantages of using social media, there is little research available on the effects on students. This paper explores the way a small group of senior students from one New Zealand secondary school negotiated their identities on a class’ Facebook page. This qualitative study uses Goffman’s dramaturgical metaphor and poststructuralist conceptualisations of discourses and fluidity of identity. The findings offer an insight into the tensions faced by this group of students as they negotiated their identity presentations to blended audiences when the boundaries between public and private are blurred. The students’ identity performance and participation on the page was influenced by power differentials, the structure of the page, and an awareness of audience. This has implications for the way educators use social media in classrooms.
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 01:48:18 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/69972016-12-05T01:48:18ZFifty Years of Patronage: The Frances Hodgkins Fellowship and its Impact on Contemporary Art in New Zealandhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/6996
Fifty Years of Patronage: The Frances Hodgkins Fellowship and its Impact on Contemporary Art in New Zealand
2016
Campbell, Joanne
The Frances Hodgkins Fellowship was the first artist-in-residence programme established in New Zealand. Over the past fifty years, the Fellowship has been awarded to some of New Zealand’s most highly regarded artists and in many cases it has had a considerable impact on their practice. The Fellowship is one of a trio of residencies established at the University of Otago by “anonymous donors” in the mid-twentieth century that support writers, artists and composers. The involvement of celebrated editor, poet and patron Charles Brasch in the establishment of the Fellowships has long been rumoured. In the absence of definitive proof, I have utilised his writings, both public and private, alongside documents pertaining to the establishment of the Fellowship to argue that he was the primary force behind the awards. Brasch was an ardent proponent of modernist New Zealand art in the mid-twentieth century and the Fellowship was clearly shaped by those ideals. When it was established there was minimal state support for the visual arts. Public galleries rarely exhibited the work of contemporary artists and dealer galleries were only beginning to appear in the larger centres. In this context, the Fellowship provided a rare and valuable opportunity for artists to focus on their practice free from perennial financial concerns. There has been very little research into the impact of residencies, on artists or the communities into which they are brought, in New Zealand or abroad. This study explores the history of the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship and highlights the significant impact it has had on individual recipients and the wider community. In addition to archival research, interviews have been conducted with former Fellows and those involved with the selection and administration of the Fellowship. The first part of the thesis focuses on its origins, the cultural context out of which it emerged and possible international precedents. The second chronologically discusses the impact of major developments in the arts and society on the Fellowship as well as the achievements of each of the Fellows' tenures. Although the Fellowship was originally intended to support only painters and sculptors, artists working in other media have been appointed in response to broadening definitions of art during the period.
Fri, 02 Dec 2016 03:08:38 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/69962016-12-02T03:08:38Z